Hot Cocoa? Yes, Please!

Picture by Caprice Miller

                     ^“Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” – Psalm 34:8 (NLT)

Quick!  What is your first reaction when looking at this picture?  If you are like me it was “YUM!!!  I want some of that!”    There really isn’t anything much better than a hot cup of cocoa on a cold day.  And the added pleasure of the whip cream is just… well….an added bonus.  This, along with a warm blanket and an old movie, makes for a perfect day.   It’s a pleasure that is really hard to describe to someone who hasn’t experienced this before.  For example, a person from a warm climate like Hawaii or The Caribbean may be able to appreciate the taste of chocolate and perhaps even have tasted hot cocoa.  But to know the cozy, warm, relaxation that comes with it on a cold day with a warm blanket and an old movie…well, it has to be a personal experience tasted individually. 

This is how our walk with Christ could be viewed at times.  There are people we probably know who always seem so joyful and encouraging and yet we know they have some serious life circumstances going on.  You may ask yourself, “How is it possible that this person is the one encouraging me and lifting me up?  I should be doing that for them.”  There are also times in our life when we might determine it’s time for a change.  You’re tired of the same old hum drum and you just feel like something is missing inside but can’t quite pinpoint it.  And in that moment, “that person” comes to mind that you want to be more like, or at least you want some of what they have, but what is it?

This should be what others see with Christ living in us as Christians.  Life will not always be warm, sunny days full of sunshine and pretty birds chirping as we sing “Blue bird on my shoulder”.  But when those cold, rainy days do come along, we can still have a joyful heart because we know we are secure in the warmth and sweetness of Christ.   It’s something that we can’t explain to another sometimes.  We may need to just tell them “Taste for yourself and see that the Lord is good.”    And then they can have their own, personal experience with Him and find out how truly blissful He can be when we take refuge in Him.